Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
by kitten4979
Summary: This is my version of Have You Ever Seen the Rain? as told by Danny's point of view.


Where is she? I want her. I need her. And I can't find her. Why won't these people get out of my way? Don't they have something better to do on a Friday night instead of gambling their life savings away? Go catch a show or something. There are a lot of great shows in town. I hear Celine Dion does all right. Or go eat at some cheap all-you-can-eat buffet. There are a lot of those in town, too. Eat at your own risk. Just get the hell out of here! God, I hope Ed never knows that I just thought that. That man would… focus, McCoy. Focus. Quit getting distracted.

Damn it, people. MOVE! Why can't you people see that I'm a man on a mission? I have to see her. I want to smell her. I need to hear her. I'm dying to touch her… to taste her. I've just spent six months overseas without her. Do you know what that can do to a man? I'm going crazy here. You people are between me and the reason why I'm here, alive and not rotting in the desert. Iraq, not Las Vegas.

She's always been there for me. She was the first girl I ever kissed. Maybe not the first girl I ever… but, wow when we did. The first time was slow and sweet when we were all of eighteen. But the last time… I had no idea she had it in her. The mad desire, the passion… her lips, her skin, that thing she did with her tongue… Focus! Quit thinking about your last night stateside, McCoy.

But thoughts of that night did keep me alive out there. I mean, that's not all that I thought about. But that thought was never far from my mind. I wish she could have sent me some of her cookies while I was there. She always made the best cookies – not that I ever got any of them while I was at boot camp. Damn vultures, I tell you. All I got were crumbs and the random chocolate chip morsel that got left behind. But I did bring yet again, a picture of her with me. That glowing smile with a glint of mischief in her eyes… her picture was always close to my heart.

Crap. There's Sam and Delinda roaming the floor. Major diversion alert. Must evade… Duck and cover. You're a Marine. Put that evasive training to use. Oh no, they're screaming and flailing their arms. They've spotted me. Too late to hide behind the slots now. Damn.

"_DANNY!"_

Why the hell did I think that I could quietly sneak into the Montecito? I work for security and surveillance. I should know better. Mitch is probably screaming at Mike right now that I'm on the floor. Mike is probably running to Ed's office right now. And Ed… that man probably knew I was back in town before I did. Sometimes I wonder if that man ever really quit the CIA… The amount of knowledge that man possesses is frightening.

"_DANNY! Did you hear us?"_

Crashing back to reality. Why does my left shoulder hurt? Did someone just punch me? Delinda is clinging to my right arm while Nessa is on my left. Where the hell did Nessa come from? And why is Sam staring at me dead on with a pissed off look? How did I piss her off already? I'm not even supposed to be here. I have to get away from them before I get bombarded with other people. Not that I don't appreciate their good wishes. It's just that I have my mother's ring in my pocket right now and I can think of another place it should be.

Tears began to well in my dad's eyes when I asked him for it. I really wasn't sure if he was willing to part with it. It had been sitting in its velvet box since the night my mother passed away. She was the love of my father's life. Even as a child, I could see that. The adoration they showed each other was unbearable at times. But they were happy and madly in love with each other. Any fool could have seen that. Seeing how the loss of my mother affected my father during my youth made me build a wall around my heart. I thought that there was no way in hell that I would ever let anyone get so close. Why would anyone want to risk having to survive that kind of sadness?

But as I was getting shot at in that sandbox overseas, I understood. I had spent most of my life trying to push her away because I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. If I never had her, then I could never lose her, right? But she's had me ever since I kissed her in second grade. She had gotten around the barrier without me even knowing it. All I that I want is her.

When I asked for mom's ring, dad smiled and told me that he couldn't think of any other girl worthy of wearing it. He gave me this knowing grin like he'd been waiting for this day to come for a while now. And all it took was for me to finally come to my senses. Then he hugged me and told me go on my way. My own father practically kicked me out of his front door. So I am now standing the middle of a casino floor, surrounded by most of my closest friends with a 1.5 carat princess cut solitaire diamond burning a hole in my pocket and no one is letting me find the girl I want to give it to.

She practically lived at our house while we were growing up. Of course, my dad and I had no idea what was going on in that house until years later. And when I did, I beat the crap out of her father and swore to myself that if he ever touched her or looked at her again, that I would kill him. And I would. I still will. The thought of that man doing something that horrific to my sweet, innocent Mary makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

No one and none of that matter right now. Just her. Not any of the women who had come between us up until this point. I guess none of the guys either. I cringe at the thought of another man touching her. I'd always told myself it was a brotherly love. But looking back, I was jealous. I was envious of those other boys. And so I lashed out by sleeping with other women. My blood pressure is starting to rise. Stupid, stupid Danny…

Pay attention. I have to find her. I am not listening to a word any of these women are saying. Okay. Here comes Mike. Ed can't be too far behind. One of them will surely save me from these gabby girls. Gabby? Did I just think the word gabby? Anyway, I didn't want anyone to know I was back in town until I saw her and became a happily engaged man. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. All right, Mike has the chance to either keep me here and hold me up or… oh God, he has his arms open for a hug.

"_Danny, you look good."_

Oh, he is so dead. He could have been a hero but –

"_She's by the front desk, getting ready to leave for the night. You better hurry up, man."_

God bless Mike. Who said that women were more intuitive than men? If that were true, I wouldn't be surrounded by three women, I'd be face to face with just one – the one that just happened not to be there at the moment. Then again, sometimes I wonder if Sam is really a woman since she's so… not a typical woman.

I give Mike a quick pat on the back and I untangle myself from Delinda and Nessa's grasps. I hope Ed doesn't try to stop me. I am sprinting to the front desk. Blue hairs be damned. I know where she is now. Do not get between this Marine and his mission.

Oh my God. She's even more beautiful than I remembered. The sight of her stops me dead in my tracks.

Look at her. Her hair is cascading down her back in curls. She looks tanned, relaxed. She looks gorgeous. I have to touch her. I take a step towards her just as she turns and catches my eye.

Before I know it, she is in my arms, crying. I try to calm her. I hold her and stroke her hair. I fit her head under my chin. Where did this power grip on my sleeves come from? We stand there for what feels like an eternity, just holding each other. This feels so right. Finally, I kiss her temple. I feel her body relax slightly. Then her hands on either sides of my face and she is kissing me fiercely, sobbing between kisses.

"_You're here. You're here…"_

I never want to leave this woman ever again.

"_I'm here,"_ I tell her. She pulls away slightly and tries to compose herself. I can sense that she's not sure what to say.

"_Do you have any plans tonight?"_

"_Just to be with you,"_ I say as I stroke her cheek. And it's true. She's the only thing I've had on my mind since my commanding officer told me that I was going home.

"_I'm getting ready to go home. Do you want to come over?"_

I smile and take her hand into mine. She's nearly as nervous as I am. I kiss her hand. _"Of course I want to come over,"_ I reply. _"I've been dying to see you. You're the only one I want to be with." _

Everything is set. There are red rose petals scattered around her living room and I've commandeered and lit every candle I could find in her duplex. We've always had a spare key to each other's place. I hope her place is still standing when we get there. Proposing in front of a pile of burnt rubble that I caused is not in the plan.

When we pull into her driveway, I hop out of the passenger side and help her out. Chivalry goes a long way. I take her hand and lead her to her front door. I try to wait patiently as she unlocks the door, but I think she can tell that I'm highly agitated at the moment. I hear the door click, but she doesn't open it.

"_Danny, if there's somewhere else you'd rather be tonight, I'd understand."_

What? Is she kidding? God, what have I done to her to make her think that I wouldn't want to be with her? Well, I guess a lifetime of trying to push her away probably didn't help… I kiss her hand again. _"I'm not going anywhere."_

She smiles at me and finally opens the front door. She's still looking at me as she walks in, so she doesn't see my decorating right away. When she finally turns to see the petals strewn on every available surface and every candle in her duplex illuminating her living room, she lets out a gasp and puts one hand to her chest while she covers her mouth with the right. And I'm on my knee before she turns back to me.

"_Danny, what are you…"_

I stare deeply into her eyes as I reach for her left hand, lying on her chest. I try not to linger on her breast. I'd practiced this speech over and over in my head. Now I'm afraid it's going to sound practiced and insincere. I take a deep breath.

"_I love you, Mary Connell."_

Oh God, she didn't say it back. She's just staring at me dumbfounded. I have to keep going. Go for the gusto.

"_I may have not have shown it. Heck, I may have never shown it to you. But when I left you before going overseas, I felt a piece of my heart was torn from me."_

Still a blank look. But now her right hand has slid down to replace where her left hand once was.

"_I have spent a lifetime pushing you away because I never wanted to lose you. You nailed me that night in the elevator."_

Oh good, she blinked. She is acknowledging part of my confession. Must go on…

"_When my mother died, it scared me to see how it affected my dad. And I had sworn that I would never let that happen to me. I swore that I would never let anyone get that close to me. But you did, Mary. I just didn't realize until our last night together that I've loved you since the day I kissed you behind the swings."_

"_Danny, I-"_

To hell with the speech. I slowly take the velvet box out of my pocket and her eyes widen. I know she knows what's inside.

"_Danny, is that…?"_

"_Will you marry me?" _I ask as I open the box.

She is bawling now. I tentatively place the ring on her finger. I raise myself from the floor and take her in my arms again. There is no one in this world right now. It's just the two of us. I smell her hair. I stroke her back. I'm lost in the moment of just being with her when I finally hear her answer.

"_Yes."_


End file.
